July 19, 2021 at 11:02 a.m.
Hodag 12Us walk off against Appleton again, win District 5 tourney
Hodag 12Us walk off against Appleton again, win District 5 tourney
Jackson Weinzatl drove in three runs, including the game-winner in the sixth, as the Rhinelander defeated Appleton National 4-3 - completing an undefeated run through the District 5 tournament and sending the Hodags to the 12U state tournament for the first time since 2012.
Weinzatl singled with the bases loaded and nobody out in the sixth to drive in Josh Waydick for the winning run. According to manager Steve Bishop, the team originally was going to roster 11 players for the tournament, but decided to add a 12th - Weinzatl - so the team could have an additional coach under Little League regulations.
"He was our 12th player added. I had some choices and I'm really happy," Bishop said. "We kind of chose Jackson because he's really fast on the bases and pretty quick out in the outfield. His bat, he's kind of developed this year. He's really contributed to our team."
Friday's win marked the second time in five days that Rhinelander defeated Appleton National on a walk-off hit. The Hodags defeated the Nationals 5-4 last Monday on Vince White's two-out double in the bottom of the sixth.
Friday's victory allowed the Hodags to avoid playing a winner-take-all championship game against Appleton later that evening in the double elimination tournament.
For the Hodags, it marked a crowning achievement for a group of players that Bishop said dedicated itself to the game last summer when the Little League season was canceled due to COVID-19. He said players would get together and practice 3-4 days a week, up to three hours at a time last summer.
"I kind of look back at that, and that's where a lot of our development came," he said. "Then, of course, when they put the (Hodag) Dome up, right away we started utilizing that. We started practicing in January and we were practicing two days a week in the dome. I really credit all the kids' hard work and development during those times."
Appleton ace Aiden Waterski fanned 11 batters over five innings, but White's 10-pitch strikeout to end the fifth brought Waterski over the daily 85-pitch maximum. Rhinelander was able to take advantage of the bullpen in the sixth.
Trailing 3-2, Abe Gretzinger singled to start the inning, followed by a double by Waydick to put the tying and winning runs in scoring position. Appleton elected to intentionally walk Aidan Lueder with an open base at first to load the bases. Josh Willoughby followed with a slow grounder to third and Gretzinger ended up safe as the throw to the plate sailed wide, setting up Weinzatl for the game-winning single to center.
Appleton was unable to hold on after jumping out to a 3-0 lead. Wyatt Schlueter led off the game by reaching on an error and scored on Waterski's single as the Nationals had the first three batters of the game reach base. The Hodags got out of that jam, and then wiggled out of a bases-loaded, one-out spot in the second unscathed. But Appleton tacked on two more in the top of the fourth as Waterski doubled home Brock Strundel and Schlueter.
The Hodags had only two base runners through the first 3 2/3 innings, but were able to string together a two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth as Joseph Webb walked, Lueder singled and Willoughby walked to load the bases for Weinzatl, who singled to cut the lead to 3-2.
Gretzinger started on the mound for Rhinelander and went 3 1/3 innings allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts. Lueder came on in relief to earn the win. He struck out four over 2 2/3 innings and allowed only one hit -Waterski's double in the fourth.
The Hodags finished a perfect 6-0 in district tournament play - winning all three games of pool play before moving perfectly through the double-elimination bracket.
The Wisconsin Little League state tournament starts this Saturday in West Bend with the Hodags being guaranteed five games of pool play. The top four teams in pool play make the semifinals, which are set for July 29 with the state championship game on July 30.
"It could possibly be seven games in seven days," Bishop said. "I think one area our team is really strong is pitching. It will be interesting to see if our strong pitch, how well that's going to hold up with that format, but we're feeling pretty good about it."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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